Local master plan was ratified: Nature surrounds compact city centers in Vantaa
Vantaa City Council ratified the new local master plan on January 25, 2021. It bolsters all of the city centers that will both expand and heighten.
City centers will become more compact and versatile. Their urban landscape will also become of higher quality. All residential areas will be supplemented, even though less building has been proposed for current housing areas dominated by small houses. Some workplace areas in Aviapolis and along Vantaa Light Rail have been changed into housing areas.
The key solution of the local master plan is to bring growth into the present structure. When compiling the plan, many potential building places in green areas covered by valid local master plans were considered, but they were discarded because of their nature values and recreation requirements. Building of forest areas was specified. Vantaa has altogether about 9,400 hectares of forest areas, of which more than 50-hectare ones amount to about 4,800 hectares, and the possible building areas of these consist of 725 hectares. This figure is close to the local master plan's actual impact on the city's forests.
The basic idea is a sustainable and low-carbon urban structure and transport system where people can live and work in a city—compact to the extent where daily public transport, cycling and walking are flexible. At the same time, larger forest entities will be saved outside urban areas.
As regards housing, the local master plan is sized for 355,000 residents in 2050
Efficiency is determined based on the existing housing stock in the area. Around 11 million floor square meters of new building have been planned for the city as a whole. The large share of infill development brings uncertainty into realizing the planned building. Therefore, there are more building possibilities as regards both housing and workplace building than is demanded.
The local master plan prepares for 185,000 workplaces in 2050. The growth demands that the present office premises be more compact and efficient. There still remain a few areas for space-consuming functions. Both services and workplaces are estimated to locate in compacting city centers.
Local services are mostly situated in centers and residential areas. Regulations dictate more detailed planning: the sufficiency and accessibility of services by sustainable forms of transport must be ensured. The local master plan dictates placing of major trade units. Daily trade services are placed in centers and residential areas, more seldomly used large units in trade zones.
The local master plan will take several decades to complete. Many ongoing local detailed plans are based on valid local master plan solutions. The new local master plan will not rescind the valid local detailed plans; they will dictate compilation of future ones.
Plan for Tikkurila office building was ratified
The city council ratified the local detailed plan for Kielotie 13 in Tikkurila. The site will have office premises used by the city, business and service premises, as well as housing. The building permit amounts to 21,000 floor square meters, of which the office building will cover 11,000 floor square meters. The place is in the very center of Tikkurila, between the City Hall and the office building to the west of it.
In addition, the city council chose Master of Business Administration Sari Hännikäinen as the new chief city auditor.
The city council meeting and the extensive discussion on the local master plan can be viewed at: www.vantaakanava.fi.